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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22948747">Teenage Dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Screaming_bubble/pseuds/Screaming_bubble'>Screaming_bubble</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A LOT of imagery, Aged Up, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, its a summer love, lots of waxing poetic, markhyuk - Freeform, or brief mentions of it anyway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:07:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,164</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22948747</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Screaming_bubble/pseuds/Screaming_bubble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Donghyuk comes back to his hometown for the first time in years to reconnect with the man that put the "sweet" in high school sweetheart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Teenage Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello friends! 'tis I! for those of you have have read my other work, this is proof that I am alive and I'm so sorry for dropping off the face of the earth like that and for those who are new:</p><p>Hi! I hope you enjoy this little dump of feelings i have for these two beautiful boys!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's still dark when Donghyuk sneaks out of his parents house.<br/>
Technically there isn't any reason he should have to sneak around considering he's been living in his own apartment for the past seven-odd years but old habits die hard, he supposes.</p><p>He crawls out onto the little roof right outside his window, slowly sliding down the side until he can get to the drainage pipe that leads down to the floor. It's almost embarrassing to see how much years of comfort and being able to actually use a front door has stunted his ability to do this, his movements jerky and uncertain, footing one twitch away from being lost.</p><p>The landing is a little rocky, makes a sharp pain shoot through his shin, but he still makes it without injury and that in itself is a feat. He quickly makes his way around the house, making sure to avoid stepping in his moms tomato garden and gains enough momentum to hop over the garden fence to land…<br/>
Right in front of him. Mark Lee. <i>His</i> Mark Lee. Always his.</p><p>It’s crazy, the way Mark still makes every nerve in Donghyuk’s body begin to vibrate just by looking at him, technicolor fairy lights glowing under his skin. It’s like highschool all over again and Donghyuk loves it.</p><p>There’s a little smile on Marks face as Donghyuk walks towards him, soft and sweet like latte foam, so strong a contrast to his gelled black hair and cherry red 1989 Jaguar.<br/>
Mark had always looked nothing less than a 50’s dreamboat but the years of adulthood had sculpted him in a way that human hands could only dream. His face had become sharp, eyes even sharper, carefully toeing the line between butterflies and heartache as it left Donghyuk absolutely breathless, wanting to touch to see if he still felt as warm as he did back then.</p><p>“Was that out of necessity or dramatic flair?” Mark asks, jutting his chin at the part of the fence Donghyuk had just jumped over, arms reaching out to rest on Donghyuk’s waist as he put his own around Mark’s shoulders. </p><p>“Oh Mark,” Donghyuk leans in, resting his body against him but keeping their chests apart, all sparkly eyed and honey mouthed, “What do <i>you</i> think?”</p><p>The laugh that Mark directs towards the sky is too goofy for someone so perfect, but maybe that’s what makes him even more perfect; a one of a kind handmade devastation unable to be mass-produced because there is no mould. It makes Donghyuk smile as well, lips parting in the kind of happiness that crinkles the corners of his eyes.<br/>
They had always been like this. Beautiful, glowing, in love. Years apart couldn’t change that, not for them. It was destined, for them to be a part of each other, irreplaceable and unforgettable.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The sun made its appearance just as they passed their third hill, the sky lighting up in shades of blue and white and shooing away the chill of the night as the smashing pumpkins played on the radio.<br/>
Nothing seemed to change in Donghyuk’s hometown and it seemed like it hadn’t changed since some time in the mid-nineties. It was nice, nostalgic and sepia-colored.</p><p>He remembered hating it when he was younger, counting down the years, months, weeks, days until he could leave their little time capsule and go to the big city. The big city where people were as new as their mindsets, open and inviting and without silly prejudices. Or that’s what he imagined anyway. Over the years he’s come to realise that prejudice and ancient moral codes exist everywhere there are people. Sometimes it’s less, sometimes it’s more, but ultimately it all boils down to one thing: People, as a whole, really suck. What mattered was finding the few who didn’t and as easy as it was to find people with hate in their hearts, it was just as easy to find those who loved.<br/>
He let his eyes roam over Mark’s profile, face serious as he focused on the twists and turns in the road, head nodding to the music. </p><p>Mark had always been so full of love. It seeped out of his skin like a fragrance, enveloping anyone who was blessed enough to be close. He had been the one to show Donghyuk that emotions were just a matter of perspective, that even the ugliest shrub can be interesting if shot at the right angle. He moulded Donghyuk’s memory of this town into something fond, erased the filth and sadness that had lived inside his heart for so many years until they were never there, replacing them with sweetness.<br/>
The Denim of Marks jeans was soft when Donghyuk rested his hand on his thigh, Marks lips twitching in a smile as he kept his eyes forward.</p><p>As midday approaches, the sun's kisses on their skin become sharper, more teeth than lips and only made bearable by the breeze that flowed through the open top of Mark's convertible. The smell of summer weaves itself around them, invading their noses with the smells of salt and grass and the faint undertone of tar from the road in front of them. Donghyuk watches the sparkling of the ocean just past the cliff to their right, his sunglasses barely dimming the brightness and making his eyes squint. He can feel the wind brushing his face, wiping its hand across his hot cheeks and soothing the redness of an oncoming sunburn. </p><p>He remembers Mark always lamenting over Donghyuks ability to tan, the redness fading to tones of caramel instead of Marks painful pink. He remembers the way Mark used to kiss his nose, his cheeks, his shoulders, the back of his neck as if trying to see if it tastes just as sweet.<br/>
Naturally, Mark had been the one to help Donghyuk understand the true worth of his skin, back before he had felt comfortable in it. </p><p>A small town peaks out from behind the last cliff in front of them, warped and buckled from the heat. God it really had been a while since he had been here. Then again, it had been a while since he had come home in general. </p><p>There had been a time when Mark and Donghyuk had driven here almost every weekend, partially because it was far enough away from their worries to forget they existed, partially because he felt like Mark enjoyed watching Donghyuk play in the waves.<br/>
It was always the same routine: They’d park off the side of the road to avoid the crowds and climb down to the beach from the rocks, Donghyuk would start tearing his clothes off before they even reached the sand and Mark would watch him dive into the waves before he was inevitably tugged into the water with him. Some days they would go into town for ice cream, others they would go and make out in Marks car with the roof down to the sounds of people honking and whistling as they drove by, both equally as sweet.</p><p> </p><p>To Donghyuk’s surprise, Mark does not steer off the road to go to their secret parking spot. He drives past it, responding with nothing but a smirk and a wink when Donghyuk looks over to him. </p><p> </p><p>Mark had mentioned earlier on in the drive that there had been a few alterations made to the town since Donghyuk had last been there and he hadn’t been kidding when he said things had changed. 
What had once been a modest seaside town filled with fisher people and their families had now become a tourist hub, the small dreary diners and tackle shops being replaced with brightly decorated gift shops and seaside themed restaurants. There were families filling the sidewalks, children shrieking in delight when they would be handed their towering icecreams and couples pointing at the different signs propped up in the windows. It was like a completely different town center but he didn’t have time to focus on the hollow feeling in his chest before Mark was intertwining their fingers and dragging him forward. </p><p>There was a street fair set up in what was once the alley Mark and Donghyuk used to hide in, back when they would come with their group of friends only to sneak away halfway through. The abandoned boxes and broken shopping carts had been cleared away to make space for planted trees and little benches, the potholes and mysterious cracks repaired and replaced with beige cement tiles in the shape of waves to match the vibrant and happy atmosphere of the little stalls lining the walls of the restaurants on either side of the street.<br/>
Donghyuk took a second to mourn the disappearance of the names he had etched into the side of one of the walls with promises of forever embedded in the cement to appreciate the people selling their goods; Baskets filled with fruit and honey, homemade jewelry spread out on colorful cloths next to little stands displaying antiques. There was so much life bustling in every corner as sales people engaged in friendly conversation with browsing shoppers, offering free samples as music played from speakers propped up next to tables.</p><p>Donghyuk let Mark slowly guide him from stall to stall, their hands still connected even if the heat was starting to make their palms sweaty. It was so bizzare to him, to be standing here and watching his highschool sweetheart discuss the quality of peaches with someone he feels like he should know in a town that looked nothing like what he remembered. Even so, he felt light and airy, the sun penetrating his skin until it glowed from within him and prickling like a freshly opened can of soda.</p><p> </p><p>As the sun began to take on the golden sheen of early afternoon they finally made their way down to the beach, giggling like teenagers as Mark pulled Donghyuk forward towards the sand. His hair was slightly messed up from both the heat and the summer breeze that followed them while they perused the town, strands falling down into his eyes as the sun highlighted his skin. He was ivory against the yellows and tans of their surroundings, his t-shirt left unbuttoned to flow around him from where he had untucked it from his pants earlier and showing off the slim waist under his undershirt and there had never been a moment where Donghyuk had wished more for the ability to snap a photo with his eyes. He decided to absorb every centimeter of Mark until it was branded on the inside of his eyelids instead.<br/>
He was interrupted by Mark once again reaching out and pulling Donghyuk towards him, wrapping his arm around his waist until they  were face to face with matching grins.<br/>
A piece of him remembered where they were, looking around to see if anyone was watching only for Mark to direct his face to look at his own with his finger.</p><p>“It’s only you and me, love. No one else matters.” </p><p>Donghyuk dropped his face to Marks shoulder, smile overtaking his cheeks and stinging the slightly burnt skin on his nose when it scrunched up. He let his hands grab onto the loose ends of Marks shirt as he breathed him in, trying to melt into him as Marks chest shook with laughter. There was nothing but love and adoration flowing through his lungs, looking up one more time to count the stars in Marks eyes.</p><p>“How are you even real?” Donghyuk asks. There’s no real reason for them to be able to connect so easily, so effortlessly after so long. It was illogical, a thing of fairy tales and legends, not something for Donghyuk to consider a reality but here Mark was, soft skinned and smelling of coconut as he stared back with just as much adoration.<br/>
Donghyuk felt like he was worth his weight in gold, something too precious to be let go of but that was ultimately Marks thing, his mini-mini-superpower reserved for Donghyuk and Donghyuk alone.<br/>
Mark’s spell was one that invoked a self love that wasn’t explicably contained to when they were together but lived on even when they were apart. A power to give away his own eyes until whoever he gave them to was unable to see themselves through anything but the same veil of stardust and moonlight.<br/>
Marks affection overflowed and seeped into anything near him like condensation on a cold drink, and it had absorbed into the layers of Donghyuk’s self created walls of self hatred and sadness until it came crumbling down like wet cardboard.</p><p>Maybe that’s why it was so easy to fall back into Mark after so long. He had infused so much of his own love into Donghyuk’s being that they had become one, drawn to each other like magnetised stone brimming with the same energy.</p><p>They allowed themselves a few more minutes, planting themselves on the sand as they watched the shallow waves glisten in front of them. Mark held Donghyuk’s hand between his fingers, his thumb absentmindedly stroking along the length of Donghyuk’s index finger. </p><p>“You know, I got you something.” Mark said suddenly, pressing a kiss to Donghyuk’s knuckles before letting go of his hand and reaching into his pocket.<br/>
He pulled out a small paper bag wrapped around something about the size of a peanut butter cup and handed it over, eyes filled with expectations and phosphorous as he waited for Donghyuk to open it.</p><p>Inside was a little box, green with little leaves and plants painted in watercolor with a little gold embossed honeypot printed on to the top. Donghyuk looked over at Mark with an arched eyebrow, only continuing to open up the box when Mark gives him a little nudge.</p><p>Inside, delicately placed in a little white velvet cushion was a ring. The band was silver, designed to look like thread that had been braided together with a tiny little sun perched on the top. There was a little orange stone in the center that caught the light perfectly no matter which direction it pointed. It was easily the most beautiful thing Donghyuk had ever seen. He softly ran his finger over the metal, feeling the texture under his finger tips.</p><p>“The lady that owns the honey stand recently decided to start selling jewelry that she makes with her husband. They donate a fraction of every sale to organizations that help the bees and they make all of their jewelry with stones and materials that they find near their cabin. The stone at the center is resin from the woods here so I dunno… I thought it would be cool for you to have a piece of home with you wherever you are.” The nonchalance in Marks tone as he says it makes something in Donghyuk crack, spilling over him like gossamer.<br/>
He looks up at Marks face, the way he looks back at him in soft reverence and expectancy of Donghyuks reaction which has been trapped in his throat ever since he opened the box.</p><p>“Why the sun?”</p><p>Mark laughs, head tilting back with the force of it before looking back at Donghyuk. “Because I revolve around you, obviously. You’re my own personal sun, baby, always have been.” There’s a hint of diffidence in his smile as he stares down at his knees and quietly adds “Always will be.”</p><p>Donghyuk smiles, cheeks rosy, as he reaches down into the box to pull the ring from its pillow, sliding it on to the same finger Mark had caressed earlier and holding it up in front of him. The contrast between his tan skin and the gleam of the silver band is perfect, outstanding in a way that is subtle enough to never be gaudy. </p><p>His hand is covered by Marks as he slips his fingers in between the gaps, his thumb rubbing over the newly placed ring as lemon soda bubbles vibrate through Donghyuk’s body, overflowing in the form of Donghyuk leaning over and planting a kiss on Mark’s cheek. It’s so innocent compared to what they’ve done before but it has them both flustered, overwhelming with smiles that spread too wide and giggles tickling at throats.<br/>
There’s no better word to describe the feeling around them than happiness, pure and unfiltered. Concentrated sweetness to pour over quiet nights.</p><p>It stays with them on the ride home, as they drive through the familiar loops and bends, their hands never disconnecting.<br/>
It stays with them when Mark leans over to kiss Donghyuk at a train intersection, the gust of wind from the train blowing Donghyuk’s wavy hair across their foreheads as they smile into each others mouths and It stays with them when they stand outside of Donghyuk’s house, Mark leaning against the drivers door and refusing to let go of Donghyuk’s hand no matter how much he whines that he has to go inside. </p><p>They stand together in the golden light of the street lamp as the air around them turns blue, sticky syrup surrounding them and gluing them together. Rationally they know they can see each other tomorrow and the next day and the day after that but something about being together has reverted them back into teenagers, so infatuated with each other that they cant <i>stand</i> the idea of not being within arms reach.</p><p>“I really do have to go inside. My parents are probably already ready to disown me after ditching them for a whole day with no notice.”</p><p>Mark smiles softly, pulling him closer to wrap his arms around Donghyuk’s waist. “Well if that happens you’ll just have to stay with me then, won’t you?”<br/>
There’s humor in his words, but not enough for it to be discarded as an ingenuine offer.</p><p>Donghyuk rests his arms on either one of Mark’s shoulders, letting one hand hang loose as the other threads it’s fingers through the hair at the back of Mark’s head. “Don’t tempt me, lovely one, I’m weak.”</p><p>Their mouths melt together in a decadence no one could put a price to, rose petals against silk as they brushed against each other. It’s tender and precious, flower nectar spilling from their lips in the form of sighs, just teetering on this side of going too far. They stay in treacly ascension until a sound behind Donghyuk forces them apart, chests heaving and eyes sparkling.</p><p>“I’m like ninety percent sure my parents just watched us make out so now I <i>really</i> have to go.” Donghyuk says, extracting himself from Mark’s arms and grinning when Mark places one last kiss to his fingers, twisting his ring with his thumb.</p><p>He pushes off the side of his car and opens up the door, lowering himself inside. “Alright, but I’ll see you tomorrow, right babydoll?”</p><p>Already slowly walking backwards towards the gate, Donghyuk runs his hand through his hair and flashes a grin full of teeth. “Oh trust me, you could bet money on it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading this and I hope you enjoyed it! I would love to hear your thoughts both here or on my <a>Twitter</a> so be sure to drop me a line or two!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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